Thursday, March 29, 2007

Local #11...The Artist

I'm completely aware that prematurely releasing a comic books' backmatter content brings 7-years' bad luck, but I just can’t help myself (anyway, there’s plenty of time to make more, right?!). Hey, I’ve never done it before; this is the one and only time, so no curse will effect me.

Can you believe that someone that looks like this is a character in a future Local story? (It’s not Megan).

Don't bother Brian about The Artist because we're not that far ahead yet!

I seriously can’t wait to draw this issue (the excitement is two-fold as I’m co-writing this one). I think the final 4 issues are going to be amazing. We're in the 4th Quarter, it's time to get excited and get these last 4 issues! Superbowl, homeboy!

Status:Local #9: art is done and being assembledLocal #10: just beginning.#11 and 12: solicits and covers are in the works.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Funrama's Raccoon--The Doll!

Although, I've been reluctant to showcase ANY art or plot from Funrama, because it's unpublished (arrghhh! GET. A. PUBLISHER. RYAN.GRRR!!!write!!write!!stabstab!!!slice, stupid,stupidRyangetpublisher!!!) I couldn't help but show-off this newly custom designed Raccoon doll by doll artist and super-fan, Samanthia Wildes.

Needless to say, Samanthia will be designing the full line of dolls and toys when Funrama goes big. BIG. HUGE.

Monday, March 26, 2007

Giant Robot Warriors-Cover Action!

Look! I received a box of comps of my lovely book, Giant Robot Warriors, with it's sparkling new cover! It looks better than ever, what a gem! Thanks to Larry Young! Exclamation points!!Don't miss out on your chance to get this book, my first graphic novel. Buy it now!

Sketches for the new cover. The decision over which one to do was hard-fought and carefully mulled over for 16 hours in a smoked-filled room by 12 angry men. But we picked the right one!

Here is how the raw art looks with the hand-coloring before the digital effects. This original art is lying around somewhere if anyone wants to buy it.

"A comedy that pokes more than a little fun at the media, the military, the government and the president. This is all done with tongue so firmly planted in cheek that it is funny and sharp and sort of endearing...Kelly’s art is realistic and does a great job of capturing both the humorous subtext and the weird tech of the eventual GRW showdown. The result is a real hoot: A strange but kind of charming military-industrial-complex romance — with giant robots. Grade: A- " --Variety.com

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Unregulated Free Markets Don't Work, But You Already Knew That....

"...In summary, lack of sensible supervision and regulation of banks, mortgage lenders and other financial institution – partly induced by an ideology of free market fundamentalism – has been the core cause of this private sector created disaster, not excesses of regulation or of government policy. Thus, to minimize the fiscal costs of cleaning up this mess, use of public funds should be carefully managed and targeted to help the true victims of this mess – borrowers duped by predatory lending practices – while avoiding any bail-out of the culprits of this mess. Privatizing profits in good times while socializing losses in bad times is another form of reckless corporate welfare that generates moral hazard while fostering new bubbles. Ideological supply side voodoo zealots should not be allowed to spin a tale where evil government intervention caused this disaster. And the private sector institutions and investors that indulged in this unregulated reckless behavior should take their losses. Market economies are the best economic system but they work properly when private greed, manias, panics, stupidity and recklessness is tempered by sensible supervision and regulation. And may the unfolding mortgage disaster bury once and for all the neo-con supply side voodoo economics religion of unregulated free markets fundamentalism."

"Giant robots and political satire. Not exactly the first two things you think of blending together, but happily, Stuart Moore did, and the result is a story with several fun characters, more than a few laugh-out-loud moments and some really interesting commentary on the modern day state of politics. Using giant robots as a metaphor. Moore is joined in this endeavor by a Ryan Kelly, whose work here shows signs of the amazing style he would show off two years later on Local, but also reminded me at the time of some of the best work of John McCrea… in other words, art that is right at home with over-the-top satire tinged with science-fiction elements...

...If you’re looking for a dose of Ryan Kelly art in between issues of Local, or just a fun, funny book about giant robot warfare with an undercurrent of political satire, Giant Robot Warriors is worth a look. You can find it by looking for the snazzy new cover from Ryan Kelly."

The timing for the reissue of Giant Robot Warriors couldn't be better. Last week I was rereading my copy of GRW for the first time in a LONG time. I realized, again, how proud I am of this book and how much work I put into it. There are many instances where I'm still shocked at how much detail I put into the book and how much of an easy and fun read Stuart had crafted out of serious issues and robot warfare. I can't believe I draw ALL THAT!

This is my first Graphic Novel. To celebrate the reissue, i'm going to post some preliminary sketches and art soon.

Anyway, If you at all support what I do, and Stuart, then you'll go out and get this book. At your comic shop. Order it. Buy it.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

When Can I Draw A Pin-up for Ross Campbell?

RC: 4. I just read Local #8 and it was totally amazing and like… yeah I don’t really have a question about that either except how did you make it so good? haha.

BW: I’m glad you liked it, despite it being la-a-a-ate. And I suspect its Ryan that’s making it as good as it is. He puts a lot of thought into the book, more than I am even aware of, and one day we’ll be talking and he’ll tell me this design trick or something else with the art that he implemented back in issue #2 and has been building on since then, and I’ll have no idea. Ryan flew under people’s radars for so long, but he was Peter Gross’ assistant on LUCIFER for, like, seventy issues. He’s got such solid critical thinking, creative self-awareness, and tricks up his sleeve that most artists never will never have, AND he really knows how to put a page together. I knew all that in theory when we started working together (the book he did with Stuart Moore, GIANT ROBOT WARRIORS, is one of my favorite books) but when the pages for Local #1 and #2 started rolling in, it was really amazing to see it in the flesh, as it were. I got out of his way and just let him do his thing.

Friday, March 09, 2007

Local. I draw pictures.They write reviews and..

"And just as this is "good comics" from a writing perspective, this is just damn good comics from a visual one. I've probably said it here once before, but if I haven't I'll say it again--Ryan Kelly is probably the most underrated artist out there today. Every panel of this book is just a spectacle. So much detail, so much atmosphere, and the perfect dolloping of black ink to make it all work without getting too heavy. This book is all about the emotion, and without an artist who can properly convey that emotion, then your book has no heart and soul. Kelly is this book's heart and soul and thank god for it." Ain't It Cool News, March 8, 2007

geez.

Now that we're at the 2/3rds stage of Local's completion, the only thing to do now is look at breakdowns from the already foggy distant past.

Friday, March 02, 2007

Make A Donation-Get Art

Updated and Edited with new prices 9/9/2012:

I'm establishing a new program here. You make a donation of $25.00 to me and I'll send you a random piece of mystery artwork. Yes, wipe the sleep from your eyes, that's what I said. That's $20.00 for the art and $5.00 for the cost of shipping it and the price of the envelope.

The art could be some random preliminary sketch, it could be a comic page, it could be an old sketch, it could an aborted commission or something new and wondrous. It could be all the collars ripped off my nice dress shirts. I don't know. Maybe...Something really good! The thing is, it's a grab bag.

Send me $40.00 and you get something better(!!). Send me $60 and you get $60 worth of stuff. Send $100, and likewise. Send over $100.00 and well, we need to talk.

Heck, make even a $20 donation and you'll get some nice little thing.

Minimum is $20.00 but atleast $25 is recommended.

Tell your friends. If you have no friends, tell the strangers

POAQ's (Possibly Occasional Asked Questions):

What do I do Again?

If you want to send money. Click the "Make A Donation" button and follow the link, which takes you to my Paypal. If you want to give me money, nifty, do it. And make sure you send your mailing address in the message. If you don't want anything sent to you in exchange, let me know.

What do I get again?

Art. You can make a request if you wish. Maybe I can oblige, maybe I can't. I'm pretty busy.
WARNING:

The art IS ONLY A THANK YOU FOR THE DONATION!!!

An Offering of gratitude.

WARNING!WARNING I REPEAT PLEASEPLEASE:Stabbing Anuerysm DEATHAND FAMINE WILL OCCUR PLEASE LISTEN:Please NO complaing about what I send to you-it's just a token of gratitude!---PLEASEpleaseJOHNWILKESBOOTHWARNING!!

If you'd like to buy an specific comic page, commission or print, that is a separate arrangement.When do I get it?

I throw the art in an envelope and send it off as cheaply as possible with your address on it. I might make it to the Post Office once a week to do this. Why are you doing this?

Just for fun I guess. But I need money so I can have the financial freedom to make new art.

What's your problem?

Nothing. Don't hurt me.

Why should I give you money?

You don't have to. But I appreciate it if you do and I'll show it by sending you real art. I'm a working artist with 3 sons so I'll take what I can get. This isn't desperation; it's just something to do for fun. There are actual, real less fortunate people in this world, who need food and vaccinations. Please send money to the organizations that help those people. After that, if you want to come back and donate to the Ryan Kelly Freelance Artist fund, well, super-duper.

Hey Bolshevik, Aren't you always going on about redistribution of wealth and here you are as---